"Thanks, John Wayne."
It took the police nearly ten minutes to arrive. When Katie saw them pull up, she unloaded the Sig and replaced it in the case.
She met them at the door and led the older police officer to her apartment. He motioned to the other officer, turning on his flashlight. Guns at the ready, they proceeded to comb over the three rooms. After what seemed like thirty minutes, they finally turned on the light and gave the all-clear.
She hesitantly walked in. It quickly became apparent what had occurred.
Everything had been turned over or ripped apart. Drawers were emptied, their contents strewn about.
Katie righted her favorite wicker chair. What was this all about? Was this the work of the same gunmen from the library? What were they after?
The police asked her those very questions, but she had no answers to offer. By the time she trudged back to her old bedroom in Mom's house, she could barely hold her eyes open. There was no way she'd sleep in her apartment tonight.
Mom hugged her, mentioning that Molly had finally returned to her own townhouse in Lewisburg so she could work in the morning. They both knew the real reason was that Molly would be scared out of her mind to stay here tonight.
Reloading the Sig and placing it under her pillow, Katie dropped fully-clothed into her white canopy bed. What little sleep she had was riddled with nightmares.
****
2
Ace munched on a flaky, buttery croissant and washed it down with pitch-black espresso. He planned to visit the McClures' home later this morning.
Today he sported his turquoise polo shirt that always garnered female compliments, as well as several generous sprays of a newly-released cologne called Hedonist. A fragrance counter saleswoman had offered him the used sample bottle after he had sweet-talked her a bit. He hoped Katie McClure was so easy to tempt.
He had decided to focus on Katie. She seemed more level-headed than her sister. Chances were, Katie would be privy to any secrets the McClures hid. Anyway, he couldn't very well pump both sisters for information under the guise of dating.
Thinking of Katie's green eyes and serious demeanor, he found himself wishing he could make her laugh. If he could, maybe he could get close enough to accomplish what he was here for.
This whole job was utterly distasteful. What would his granny have thought? Granny was the one person who had believed he could make something good of himself. She took him to church and told him God made him for a special purpose. He used to believe that, until someone framed him and he wound up thrown into the slammer. When God let him go to prison, he'd decided it was better to trust in himself, not in some God he barely knew.
Luxuriating in the shiny charcoal Lexus he'd rented with his boss' money, he couldn't deny that crime did seem to pay. Leather seats, sunroof...this was living the life.
He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand. Today he would take the next step in winning Katie McClure over.
****
Breakfast was tense, the break-in still fresh in their minds. Mom had made Katie's favorite—French toast—but they both took only a few bites. As Katie sipped her strong coffee, the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." She figured it was the police with more questions, and she had nowhere to go. Reba had decided to close the library today.
Mom nodded and Katie slowly made her way to the door. Her foot was always stiffer early in the morning.
Opening the door just a crack, she was dumbfounded to find Ace Calhoun standing on their front porch.
She forgot her manners. "What are you doing here?"
Ace smiled, and the effect wasn't lost on Katie. She had to admit he looked just as natural in jeans and a T-shirt as he did in his trendy outfit from yesterday. He actually looked like one of the local "good ol' boys".
"I wanted to check in with you before I left. Your sister gave me your address."
She shook her head, tightening her lips. Of course Molly had been handing out her home address willy-nilly to good-looking guys. "Thanks. I'm home today because they closed the library."
"That's probably wise. I'm hoping the police have a lead on those guys?"
"Not yet." She didn't want to mention the break-in last night, since it was none of his business. "Are you flying out of Lewisburg?"
"Yes...in one of those tin-cans I flew here in, no doubt. But I need to get back to Manhattan. Bodyguarding waits for no one." He laughed.
Mom walked up behind Katie and put her hands on her shoulders. "Excuse me, but did I hear you say you're a bodyguard?"
Oh, no. Surely Mom wouldn't...
Ace nodded earnestly and produced an I.D. that read Kern Personal Security. Mom flipped it over, pulled it out to examine the back, and seemed satisfied.
"And you two know each other...how?"
Katie sighed. This friendly chatter could mean only one thing. Mom was going to invite Ace in.
"He's the guy from the library. The one who tried to protect me. He's flying out today—"
Mom placed a hand on her heart and interrupted her. "You don't say! Well, you just come right on in here and have some French toast, young man. It's the least I can offer for your bravery."
"I just ate, but I'd be happy to have a bite or two. Thank you."
Katie refilled their coffee and Mom heated the French toast for Ace. When she set the plate down, he scanned the table.
"What do you need?" Mom asked.
"Maple syrup?"
Katie pointed to the bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's. "Don't you see that?"
He hesitated, then reached for the bottle. "Oh, sure. I'm just used to real maple syrup."
She snickered, but Mom shot her a look.
"So, you're a bodyguard in New York," Mom probed. "I guess you've run into plenty of scoundrels."
Ace nearly choked on his bite. He took a big swig of milk. "Yes, more than I ever wanted to."
Her stomach sank. She knew exactly what was coming next.
"Ace, I tell you what," Mom continued. "We have a little problem here and I don't know what to do. Katie's apartment next door was ransacked last night. The police are looking into it, but I know we'd feel a whole lot better with an armed guard around. Now, I can't offer you much money, but I have some left in our retirement nest egg and I'm sure the whole family will go in on this."
Surely he'd say no. Manhattan would pay a lot better than small-town folks ever could. She held her breath.
Ace glanced at her, then back at Mom. His gaze intensified. "I hate to hear that. And while I do have other work pending, I can have them call someone else in." He extended a hand. "Ace Calhoun, at your service."
She couldn't believe this city-slicker was willing to hang around Hemlock Creek. Yes, he knew how to carry a gun, but did he know how to deal with heavily-armed thugs like those library invaders? Something in his suave smile threw her off-guard, and she couldn't quite bring herself to trust Mr. Ace Calhoun.
****
Ace couldn't believe how easily he'd tricked Mrs. McClure. Yes, she had excused herself to call Kern Security for verification, but his boss had made sure his story checked out.
Katie was a different story. Those green eyes tucked under a fringe of red lashes were definitely more piercing than trusting today. As she stalked out of the kitchen, he noticed her limp was more pronounced than it was yesterday.
Ace followed her, easily overtaking her stride. "Did you injure yourself somehow?" He motioned to her foot.
The glare became more serious, hostile even. "No. I have a permanent limp."
She said it almost like a dare.
Before he could respond, the front door opened and Molly whisked in. "Hey Katie, how's—" She nearly dropped the purse dangling at her elbow when she caught sight of Ace.
"Well, hello." She grabbed his hand, her smile brightening. "Nice to see you around."
"Thank you. I'm going to be in town a while longer. Your mom actually hired me to protect your home until the police catch these
guys."
"Oh, mercy." Molly fanned herself and winked at Katie. "Maybe I need to move back in."
He caught a barely-perceptible flash in Katie's eyes. Did she feel possessive of him? That was a good thing. But her words fell flat.
"He won't be staying here, I imagine. Maybe down at the Kingsbury Hotel."
"Is that the one I saw near the gas station? I'd be happy to move over there." Anything to stay close.
"With that Lexus and your...Manhattan job, I would think you could afford The Greenbrier a few more days," Katie mumbled.
"Katie!" Molly looked appalled. She shot Ace an apologetic look. "She's a librarian, you know. They spend too much time buried in books and not enough time practicing politeness."
Katie shrugged, walking up the hallway. Molly wasted no time, her warm eyes focused on Ace's.
"So. How do you like West Virginia? You know, I've heard West Virginia girls are the prettiest in the United States." She smiled widely.
He stayed noncommittal, ignoring her brazen overtures, even though her looks were definitely hard to ignore. "I'm sure that's true."
Katie returned, awkwardly balancing a bucket, broom, and cleaning supplies.
He grabbed the wobbling bucket before she could protest. "Where are we going?"
She glared. "You're not going anywhere. I'm going over to clean up my apartment."
Molly gasped. "You're not moving back out there, are you, with some home invader running loose?"
"I don't know. But I'm not leaving my things flung around like that."
"Let me help," he said. "It's the least I can do, and if those men come back..."
Conflicting emotions played on Katie's face. She finally gave in. "Okay, I could probably use an extra set of hands. Cleanup isn't Molly's thing."
Molly stuck her tongue out at Katie, but didn't deny what she'd said. "I'm going to find Mom. Let us know if you need anything. Especially if you need anything, Ace." She winked.
Ace trailed behind Katie, secretly pleased he'd gained access to her apartment. Maybe he could do some unobtrusive snooping.
Now if only Katie would respond to him as warmly as her sister. He determined to crank up his friendliness factor...or would that even work?
****
Watching Ace throw himself into cleanup duties, Katie felt somewhat repentant for her distrustful attitude. The man truly did seem committed to helping, and for the love of everything, he was so easy on the eyes. She pretended not to notice, but the way his muscles strained at his T-shirt sleeves attested to why he was a bodyguard. Not to mention he was packing a handgun that looked bigger than her dad's. Even though she hadn't gone shooting much since her dad's death, part of her was still impressed with a man who could handle a gun.
He caught her gaze. "It's a .45. That's a large-caliber—"
"I know what it is," she snapped.
"Sorry, I just assumed you didn't shoot. Most women I've met don't."
"Well, you aren't in Manhattan anymore." She didn't know what had possessed her tongue. She had never been this snippy in her life. She tried to soften her response. "I don't shoot these days. But I used to."
He nodded. She appreciated that he kept silent and didn't push the issue.
"So, tell me about your family, now that you've met mine," she said.
He unearthed a pair of her low heels, depositing them on the couch as carefully as if he were returning eggs to an upturned nest. "Not much to tell. I was closest to my granny, and she died when I was a teen. My dad was always busy at work...my mom wasn't really invested in my upbringing, I guess you'd say. I don't have any siblings."
She nodded. "And how did you come to be a bodyguard?"
He shrugged. "I watched my dad. He owned a gun store. He didn't teach me about weapons, but I watched him show them to others." Those intense blue eyes rested on hers. For one moment, Katie glimpsed the rejected little boy in the grown man.
Bustling around to soften his painful candor, she shoved all her clothes into a big trash bag to sort later. No need for him to go through those. As the weight of the bag increased, she found herself stumbling while she dragged it along.
He moved to her side, so quickly she didn't have time to react. He spoke softly near her hair. "I can get that for you."
Ignoring his understated woodsy scent, she pulled the stuffed garbage bag up with both hands, nearly toppling herself. "It's no trouble."
He gave her a slightly crooked smile, obviously amused. "Of course it's not." He plopped down on the couch, watching her.
"What are you doing? You could...put all the big spoons back in my drawer in the kitchen or something."
"Doesn't seem like you need my help." He stretched his arm along the couch.
"Of course I do! Why did you come over here in the first place?" The bag seemed to grow heavier as she stood.
He leaned forward, intense. "Then say it."
"Say what?" Exhausted with her façade of strength, Katie finally dropped the bag.
"Say you need my help. It kills you, doesn't it?"
She gasped. Who was this man, to come into her apartment and try to figure her out? To be so glib about her weakness? She would never ask him for help.
"Just because you're our bodyguard doesn't mean you're allowed to mouth off like that. I can get this place cleaned up just fine on my own, which was my original plan." She started to whirl around, but her slower foot caught in a quilt on the floor and she tumbled onto the couch—uncomfortably close to Ace.
She expected him to take advantage of the situation, but instead, he stood and offered his hand, like a gentleman. She swallowed her pride and took it, allowing him to help her to her feet.
As they continued to work in silence, she kicked herself for her outburst. She had not been herself since this New Yorker invaded her hometown. Or rather, since those thugs invaded the library.
The urgent, nonstop barking of the dogs next door broke into her thoughts. Without thinking, she rushed out the door to see what the unusual ruckus was about. She could feel Ace hot on her heels.
Wheeling around the side of the apartment, she caught sight of a man in a black hoodie, loitering in front of the McClure house. Ace protectively stepped in front of Katie. When the man noticed them, he fled up the sidewalk. Ace broke into a sprint. "I'll try to catch him," he shouted.
She shivered, even though it was a warm August day. She prayed Ace would catch the stalker and wouldn't get himself killed in the process.
****
Ace hadn't kept up with his daily jogging since he'd been in West Virginia, so a sudden, unrelenting stitch in his side slowed him down. By the time he rounded the street corner, the hooded man had vanished.
Who was that guy and what was going on? No way his boss had sent in some kind of hit team, knowing Ace hadn't even finished the job yet.
Still, he had to get moving on his plan. His boss wouldn't tolerate heel-dragging. And in a way, these stalkers had already helped him—opening the door for him to step in as the McClures' bodyguard. Perhaps Katie, motivated by fear, would open up to him.
But that wouldn't be easy. He'd seen anger flash in Katie's eyes when he'd challenged her to admit she needed help. Yet she hadn't cracked. He probably should have focused his intentions on her sister Molly, who would have been more than willing to answer his questions without much effort on his part.
And yet something about the plucky redheaded librarian drew him. Maybe it was the genuine grief in her eyes as he described his childhood. Maybe it was the way she was different from other women, almost immune to his magnetism.
But Ace had to admit that he wasn't entirely immune to hers.
****
3
Mom met them at the door and listened as Katie told her about the stranger.
"Could have been nothing at all," Mom said. "Now you all come in here and get some lunch. You've been working hard."
Mom always looked for the best possible interpretation of any circumstance. Katie wish
ed she'd inherited her mom's optimism, but instead she'd developed a tendency to suspect the worst. Then again, without that cautious instinct, she wouldn't have boldly shouted for everyone to hit the floor in the library, and who knows? Maybe she'd saved someone from getting shot.
Regardless, she determined to give things a cheerier spin when talking to Ace. The poor man probably thought she was one of those "mean girls" who had nothing nice to say to others.
Just as she was about to compliment the chicken salad on croissants, Ace piped up.
"Mrs. McClure, these sandwiches are wonderful. As good as any New York deli."
Mom smiled, pouring him a glass of sweet tea. He took a gulp, then unintentionally pursed his lips before slowly swallowing. Katie had to laugh. The debonair Yankee couldn't hold his sweet tea!
He coughed. "Excuse me, but could I have a glass of water?"
Mom looked befuddled. "Something wrong with your tea? I just brewed it fresh."
Katie silently refilled his glass with water as he struggled to explain. She tried to wipe the smile from her face but found it impossible.
"It's just...sweeter than what I usually drink. I drink unsweetened tea, black coffee...pretty bland stuff, really."
As Katie handed him the glass, he gave her a grateful look. She felt pulled in by those dark-lashed eyes, but briskly looked away. There was a hurt behind them she wanted to know more about. But he wouldn't be around long enough to explain, if the cops could just figure out how to track these men down.
The fact that the guy in the hoodie ran when he saw them was definitely suspicious, but should she tell the cops about him? They might think she was starting to see things, overreacting after the library incident and the home invasion. She decided to keep quiet, hoping it was just a random person loitering for a moment on their sidewalk.
At least they had Ace around.
****
The day slipped by quickly, with no further incident after the iced tea debacle. Ace had no idea that much sugar could be dumped in tea, and he couldn't figure out how anyone could get used to drinking it that way.
Out of Circulation (Hemlock Creek Suspense Book 1) Page 2
